Five college students in Massachusetts are facing serious charges after allegedly luring a man to the Assumption University campus in a disturbing incident that was reportedly inspired by the television show “To Catch a Predator” and a trend on TikTok.
According to a criminal complaint issued in Worcester District Court on Dec. 4, the students were part of a group that invited the man to the campus under false pretenses through the dating app Tinder. The man, expecting to meet an adult, was instead confronted by the group, who accused him of being a sexual predator.
The campus police at Assumption University described the incident as a “deliberately staged event,” where the man was physically assaulted by two students. Despite the accusations, there was no evidence to suggest that the man was attempting to meet underage individuals. The woman who invited him, Kelsy Brainard, stated on her Tinder profile that she was 18 years old.
Videos of the incident, which took place on Oct. 1, circulated among students and eventually came to the attention of the authorities. The man was initially in a student lounge with Brainard, watching a baseball game with plenty of personal space between them, before a large group of students suddenly appeared, berating him and preventing him from leaving the room.
As the man attempted to escape, he was chased by approximately 25 individuals, with one minor student allegedly physically assaulting him. The group of students recorded the entire episode on their phones, laughing and high-fiving each other afterwards.
One of the students involved, Easton Randall, admitted to the police that they were inspired by “To Catch a Predator” and viral videos on social media. The infamous NBC series featured sting operations targeting individuals seeking illicit encounters with minors, sparking controversy over its methods and ethics.
The students responsible for the incident at Assumption University, including Randall, Isabella Trudeau, and Joaquin Smith, have been charged with kidnapping and conspiracy. Brainard faces charges of intimidation, while Kevin Carroll is accused of assault and battery with a deadly weapon for slamming the victim’s head into a car door.
In response to the incident, Assumption University President Greg Weiner condemned the behavior as “abhorrent and antithetical” to the university’s values. The Department of Public Safety immediately launched an investigation into the matter.
The victim, identified as an active-duty military service member, serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who defend our freedoms. The accused students are set to appear in court on Jan. 16 to face the consequences of their actions.
